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“Liberia's national image has been defined by parachute foreign correspondents for nearly its entire history, since it was first founded as an independent republic by freed Black slaves from the United States in 1847. Today, Liberians are able to tell their own stories to an international audience by taking advantage of participatory media tools like blogs and photo-sharing sites,” writes David Sasaki following a blogging workshop he ran last year at the American Embassy in Monrovia, Liberia.

After emerging from civil war, Liberians are now adding their voices to the growing African blogosphere.

Alfred Sirleaf is an analog blogger. He take runs the “Daily News”, a news hut by the side of a major road in the middle of Monrovia. He started it a number of years ago, stating that he wanted to get news into the hands of those who couldn’t afford newspapers, in the language that they could understand.

Meet the Bloggers

Mainlehwon Ebenezer Vonhm blogs for peace at Peaceful Liberia. After living in the United States for 10 years, Mainlehwon decided to return to Liberia to help with post-conflict reconstruction. He introduces himself:

My name is Mainlehwon Ebenezer Vonhm and I was born and raised in Liberia. I fled Liberia during the height of the civil war, lived as a refugee in several West African countries, and eventually, with the help of some American educators, was granted an opportunity to pursue my education in the USA. For the past 10 years, I have lived in the US, studying and learning about how peace education can serve as a pathway to peaceful civility and coexistence. Now I have decided to return home to help in the post-conflict reconstruction efforts. My goal is to build a comprehensive peace education program for Liberia and teach mediation as a means of achieving harmony and a better life for future generations. Quite simply, I'd rather plant seeds of peace.

I went to office on Monday dress up and ready to hit the ground running (picture is attached). Currently, the Center for Peace Education is functioning as a division under Aid for the Needy Development Program (ANDP) – a local non-governmental organization with its head office located at VOA Camp (1), Brewerville, on the outskirts of Monrovia. ANDP provides nutritional supplement for malnourish children and their parents.

A mini-fishing ship in the port city of Buchanan accidently appeared on-shore that left one person dead, one missing and another tragic motor accident occurring subsequently as the corpse was being taken to the hospital which left a commercial motorcyclist dead instantly upon collision of the ambulance and a motorcycle. DETAILS TO FOLLOW

Though the country’s second post war elections linger 30 months away with already a dark cloud hanging over the prospect, political parties and politicians have begun active preparations and are dreaming big of winning the looming challenging democratic duel.

Secret meetings and phone calls, active negotiations and crossing of carpets have intensified in recent months with the ruling Unity Party (UP), Liberia Action Party (LAP) and the Liberia Unification Party (LUP) – all old political allies 30 years ago – signing the first meager.

The UP-LAP-LUP has now cut down the number of political parties in the country from 18 to 15 after the National Election Commission had earlier on March 6, 2009 deregistered 10 other political parties for constitutional violations.

With a further expected reduction in the number of political parties, the Secretary General of LUP (one of the recent merging parties), Cletus Sieh, has hinted that the 2011 elections will be competitive, but may not have a second round as witnessed in the 2005’s.

Since Liberian Gospel music began to be deeply rooted in the nation, there has been a representation of the major Liberian vernaculars (dialects) which has firmly established itself among Liberians both at home and abroad. Given this, each of these vernaculars has its own ‘king’ or ‘queen’ as far as the level of talents possessed by said musician is concerned. That is why they are usually referred to “King/Queen of Gola, Mano, Kru (or whatever tribe) Gospel Music”.

Well, Mrs. Choko Wlehyou Barchue is one unique species hailing from one of the most popular (and probably most talented & social-able) Liberian vernaculars that takes center-stage in the ‘world of Liberian entertainment’; whether Gospel or secular. Choko’s incredible singing talent is coupled with her splendid dances that go along with her sharp nightingale voice to compliment it. That is why she is called “THE QUEEN OF BASSA GOSPEL MUSIC”.

In Liberia, life is a link that calls for adquate perfection. One is incomplete until he or she is linked with others. If and only if life should exist, there must be existance of BLOG in Liberia…where every body will live in the village of information, message,image and picture.

Like many Liberians, making ends meet daily is like moon walking with out the popper equipment, but for some, the GSM Company (cellcom) has made moon walking look like drinking coco-cola, and now the 5th person Williams Blamo had taken the us$10.000 dollar walk, all you have to do is just call and talk and use two dollars and you will received an electronic ticket for the draw at each week end…………

on the 26 of march 2009 an alleged homicide case reported at my officer which took place at congo town monrovia liberia.victim sumo ,age 24, sex male,add sinkor monrovia liberia.during the observetion we observet that the victim was lying on the side of the road at congo town….

There are many cases of gender base violance in liberia The last week there was a girl that was rape by her borther and die from the effect The borther is 21 years of age and she was 11 years when it happend. The boy is now in monrovia leatral prison compound . The mother of the girl is crying every day.

The government of Liberia last year enacted into law a bill that enforced the death panelty which the said would protect the citize of crime like arm robbery amoung others. This seem to be a myth as the level of arm robbery had in fact increase to a higher level. talking to some citizen yesterday sa they said that the government is not looking to the cause of the problem but rather finding political aternative to real and difficult crime prevension and the protection of citizens and other that are residing in around monrovia.

A team from the Universities of Massachusetts and Syracuse have donated an assortment of communication devices to the Mass Communication Department of the University of Liberia (UL). The items include four digital cameras, seven lenses, two dell laptop computers and accessories.

Liberia’s former state council chairman Professor Wilton Sakanwolo remains have finally been laid to rest. prof Sakanwolo appointed as head of the council in 1995 to lead one of Liberia’s many agreements during the the just ended civil conflict in the country.

the late Prof, wrote many books in Liberia including the famous “WHY NOWBODY KNOW WHEN HE WILL DIE? and thougth english and literature at many unversities in Liberia famous among them the Unversity of Liberia . he received state funiral.

THIS IS A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR ME 2DAY, TO BE A PART OF THIS ALL IMPORTANT WORKSHOP HERE AT THE AMERICAN EMBASSY. I HAVE GOTTEN THE CHANCE TO LEARN A LIL BIT MORE ABOUT PHOTO JOUNALISM AND NOW I HAVE JOINED A BLOG. I WISH MY LIL DAUGTHER GORETTI WAS HERE RIGHT NOW, BUT SHE’S IN SCHOOL. ANYWAY MY SIL GRACE IS HERE WITH ME, AND IT’S KOOL TO SHARE THIS EXPERIENCE WITH GRACE.

Liberian stories is one of the oldest Liberian blogs. However, the blog has not been updated since November last year. Elma Shaw is the owner of Liberian stories:

Elma Shaw writes about the ups and downs of living in post-war Liberia, and of being a Liberian in the diaspora. Writing with a sense of history, a bit of humor, and a sprinkle of irreverence, Shaw presents profiles & photos of people, places and current events. She is the author of Redemption Road: The Quest for Peace and Justice in Liberia (A Novel)

TheLiberianTimes.com provides the latest Liberian, African, and World News from the most trusted name in Liberian news, now ranked as the #1 most read Liberian news website by Ranking.com. TheLiberianTimes.com features news on a wide variety of topics from staff based out of Liberia and the United States.

The manner in which young people of Liberia joke with the issue of education is very apolling, not many of them pay proer attention to get enough from the limited materials that are available, thereby creating a condition whereby they can not perform for jobs opportunity. In these situations most of them rely on relatives to make extra contact thereby down playing the merit system for deserving students. I just want to encourage the younger ones to take education very serious, because that is the only way that we can take over Mama Liberia from the hands of foriegners.